Cambridge News | March 27, 2025

Rowing’s in the family

Dunedin’s Columba College students were already winners before their boats hit the Lake Karāpiro waters for the Maadi Regatta which started on Monday. They took out the best banner award for what judge Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan described as the perfect wrap up of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Rowing championships. There was a familiar face carrying the banner who added to a three generation heritage. Lucy Earl, left, daughter of New Zealand two time gold medal winner sculler Georgina Evers-Swindell and fellow rower Sam Earl, who were based in Cambridge during their rowing careers, and granddaughter of Athol “Joe” Earl, a member of the 1972 rowing eight which won gold at the Munich Olympics, was carrying one side while crewmate Devon Skevington had the other. Lucy and Devon were members of the Columba College under 15 coxed four which started in the heats on Monday. See pages 6 and 7.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill

End of road for i-Site

By Mary Anne Gill

Cambridge i-Site will close on June 30 following cutbacks, a rent increase and Riverside Adventures’ decision to move out of the Town Hall space.

Destination Cambridge, which has 150 members and previously ran the i-Site for accommodation, attractions, hospitality, transport and retail providers - before handing over to Riverside last year - will transition to a digital rather than physical presence.

Its general manager Ruth Crampton has resigned.

Waipā District Council

canned an annual grant of $157,000 last year but gave the organisation a one-off $30,000 fee to maintain its online presence.

The organisation runs the cambridge.co.nz website which has 130,000 visitors a year and the popular What’s On events section.

“Our board is making some decisions about what this looks like now for the town because we all know with the (council’s) pending economic well-being strategy, having tourism at the heart of it is critical,” Crampton said.

“No funding from the council into tourism in Cambridge makes no sense,”

she said.

Waipā council funds Hamilton and Waikato Tourism although it reduced its annual contribution this year from $183,000 to $147,000.

Destination Cambridge chair Lucy Young told The News Crampton’s resignation was disappointing.

The council’s decision to pull funding was “our biggest crisis,” said Young.

The trust which now runs the Town Hall on behalf of the council had also signalled it would double the rent to market rates from July 1.

Riverside business manager Memorie Brooky said her

company would no longer operate an i-Site from the Town Hall but planned to provide information services elsewhere.

She could not say whether that would be at the Velodrome, where it runs a bike shop, or somewhere else in Cambridge CBD.

Rural Tours which took on two of Destination Cambridge’s staff last year and operated out of the Town Hall would also move out.

The News understands the Chamber of Commerce and deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk, who was the original manager when Destination Cambridge became an

incorporated society to run an information centre in late 2000, have held talks with interested parties about plans from July 1.

Young said the organisation’s website, which she described as “digital gold” was an important vehicle to promote Cambridge.

Moving out of the Town Hall and dropping the i-Site was not the end of Destination Cambridge, said Young, who will stand down as chair later this year having completed her obligatory two years in the role.

Brooky said the summer had been busy in the i-Site.

“But it feels more like a community service.” Tourism operators like Riverside now wanted to know who was doing what given there was a lot of duplication, particularly in the events’ space, she said. In its recently published draft Economic Wellbeing Strategy, the council said it would develop a Waipā Destination Marketing Plan to brand, promote and market the district as a premier tourism destination and develop an events’ programme that “brings our community together and attracts tourists and tourism investment.”

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Fundraisers go the distance

By Viv Posselt

Cambridge Community House (CCH)

is more than $6000 better off thanks to the efforts of two recent fundraisers – one by an individual and the other a group event.

The more recent of the two was a Rowing Marathon Fundraiser on March 15. It was the second such event for CCH and held at Cambridge’s Strength Nation Gym in Oliver St.

‘Saving the planet one lawn at a time.’

Supporters of all ages and abilities tagged in and out throughout the day, winding up with an impressive 1,111,068 metres either rowed, ridden or erged on the gym’s machines… slightly over their target distance of one million completed metres.

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over $1600 for the organisation.

Parker finished the distance – her longest run to date – in 6 hours 25 minutes, and readily admitted she found it ‘brutal’ in parts.

A success story

Clyde Graf’s opinion piece on kiwi releases from Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain (The News, March 20) casts unfounded aspersions on efforts to protect brown kiwi. He is also illinformed about the practice of taking kiwi eggs from the wild, raising the chicks in captivity and releasing them back to where they came from as strong, young adults, a practice known as Operation Nest Egg.

This is how more than 90 young kiwi were released into Okahu Valley in Te Urewera to boost and replenish the population. Without this method, unprotected kiwi populations are doomed to extinction from predation by mustelids.

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Overall, the event raised around $6000 for CCH.

One of Strength Nation Gym’s co-owners, Cam Woods, said it was the first big event they had hosted since opening six months ago.

‘Saving the planet one lawn at a time.’

CCH coffers also benefitted from the solo efforts of Cambridge chiropractor Dr Shelley Parker. Her completion of the February 15 Tarawera Ultramarathon in Rotorua raised

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It was good to see lots of whānau at the Balloons over Waipa event in Te Awamutu last Friday. In Cambridge on Sunday, a similarly positive crowd cheered on Maadi rowers as they began the regatta with a parade through the centre of town.

Starting off with catches again, Cambridge police arrested a woman for some recent high value shoplifting incidents. An encounter with a different woman last week found her to be in possession of a stolen vehicle and to be wanted for shoplifting. She also had a warrant for her arrest. Her male associate was subsequently arrested for his warrants and also charged for the same shoplifting incident.

In Te Awamutu, police arrested a male for assault and wilful damage after police attended a family harm incident involving his partner. Another family harm incident resulted in the arrest of a second male for intentional damage and resisting police. In a third incident, a male was arrested for wilful trespass and breach of bail when he was found to be at an address where he shouldn’t have been. All have appeared before the court on associated charges.

The above arrests would not have been possible without someone reporting an offence to police.

“It was like eating an elephant one mouthful at a time … it just came down to taking one step at a time.”

After a couple of day’s break, she’s back into her training regime and reckons she’d be up for another charity run sometime in the future.

CCH community development manager Francis Radloff said both types of fundraisers were important for boosting the organisation’s donation chest.

After a few missed opportunities lately, I wanted to remind people about calling 111 when offending is in progress.

There can be various reasons why people don’t call police.

Sometimes we second guess ourselves, especially asking whether what is happening constitutes an emergency. My guidance is always, if the incident or offending is happening now, call 111. (If it is a few hours, days or weeks in the past, then call 105.) But do make a call.

Some people assume others will have already phoned 111, especially when the incident is in a public space. If we all make that assumption, there may be no one who calls, or the person that does, may not have as much information as you about offenders.

If you decide to try and solve the problem by approaching victims or offenders yourself, this is a missed opportunity. You never know who it is you are talking to or of what they may be capable.

You may be putting yourself at risk, while denying police the chance to help a victim with wrap around support or in the case of offenders, the chance to identify them and take appropriate action, including dealing with any other outstanding matters for which they may be wanted.

The Tongariro kiwi population is far from a “disaster”. It is a large population with occasional set-backs such as incursions of ferrets from nearby farmland. With extra trapping for ferrets and stoats, and repeated aerial 1080 operations, the kiwi are successfully raising chicks.

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The number of kiwi calls per hour has gone from 1.1 per hour in 2011 to 4.5 per hour in 2023, the sign of a thriving population. Whio and other native wildlife have also benefitted from this predator control. More than 600 kiwi have been monitored through aerial1080 drops nationwide, and not one has died from 1080. Monitoring of birds transferred from Maungatautari is the responsibility of the Department of Conservation, not the Sanctuary.

Kiwi have flourished in predator-free Maungatautari. Now they are making a big contribution to the survival and re-introduction of kiwi all around the North island. A conservation success story.

Selwyn June Hamilton

with Senior Constable DEB HANN

Supporters of the row-athon hard at it at the start of the day.

Photo: Viv Posselt

Order please

Random was expected to be the order Waipā District Council decided on yesterday for candidates’ names on the ballot for the local body elections later this year. It will be the fourth time Waipā has gone with an option which puts every candidates’ name by surname randomly on every voting paper, meaning the order on your neighbours’ ballot papers will be different from your papers.

Over budget

A $22 million variance caused by two-yearly revaluations

means a planned $20.2 million surplus for Waipā District Council on June 30 is now likely to be a $1.8 million deficit. Development levies and subsidies are down while operating expenditure is up $19.4 million. The council’s debt on February 28 was $396 million which is expected to rise to $419 million in the next three months.

Cyber efforts

Waipā District Council won the Best in Cyber Security award at the Association of Local Government Information Management annual awards.

Plan adopted

Ahu Ake, Waipā’s community spatial plan, was adopted by the council yesterday, five years after its development began. There were 138 submissions which resulted in changes to the document, including adding “and invest” to the mayor’s foreword, deleting the word retirement and replacing it “with senior living” and removing reference to Mystery Creek as the district’s premier events’ location.

Chamber MC

Sports presenter and former league and rugby

international Honey HiremeSmiler will act as Master of Ceremonies at the Waipā business awards on May 2 at Mystery Creek.

Another bridge too far

By Mary Anne Gill

The developer behind two of Waipā’s biggest projects in the last decade has ruled out land near St Peter’s School in Cambridge for a third Waikato River bridge.

3Ms of Cambridge Development, in a joint venture with the private school, plans to build a 35-hectare residential suburb of 300 homes between Te Awa Lifecare Village and the Velodrome.

Supporters of a third bridge have long claimed this is the perfect spot, but 3Ms director Matt Smith disagrees.

“We don’t want heavy traffic running through residential areas. It’s no different from how those people under the blue blob felt last year,” he said, referring to Waipā District Council’s preferred plan to have a bridge run through long-established central streets.

He also called for New Zealand Transport Agency and the council to work closely on redistributing traffic around Cambridge by introducing Waikato Expressway on and off ramps at Tīrau Rd, near the golf course, and at Cambridge Rd West.

These would be better short-term options, he said than a third bridge which was years and several million dollars away.

“This is a residential

environment that we’re building that’s also part of the school campus.”

Smith revealed that the company he, his father Mike, and Mitch Claw own was less than three days away from lodging building consents with the council for a 300-pupil primary school in Bridleways Estate when the Education Ministry announced in July last year the project was on hold.

Design was to include a two-storey building with 13 teaching spaces, an administration building, library, resource room, hall, four spaces for learning and behaviour specialists, a learning support unit, caretaker’s shed, hard courts, fencing and extensive playgrounds.

3Ms and the council had already installed the infrastructure – water pipes, sewerage outlets, fibre connections, footpaths, bus bays, entrances and exits – when the government stopped construction.

Funding for the planning and design of a new school on 4.021 hectares in Cambridge West was first identified in 2019, after a ministry proposal document noted that Cambridge’s population was set to double by 2050, requiring provision for an added 400-600 primary and 500-1000 secondary students.

Education minister Erica Stanford told The News last month the school would go

ahead “eventually” but her government had inherited a situation where funding had not been put in place by the previous government.

3Ms invested $1 million of the $3.7 million for Papatakohe Park Destination Playground – which Smith describes as a legacy project -across the road to the abandoned school site and on future-proofing school infrastructure.

“We fought hard with the ministry at the time over that,” he said.

“You’re telling me they can’t fund the school today that was required 10 years ago.”

Sales in the estate, part of the council’s C2 growth cell which had consent for 2500 homes, a retirement village, supermarket and a school, stalled as families reassessed their options.

Smith, 53, who was born in Auckland but has lived in Cambridge for 30 years firstly working as a dairy farmer in St Kilda Rd and then as a developer, is astounded at the lack of urgency for the school.

“We’ve (Cambridge) made the commitment that we can provide for our growth. We’ve been the fastest growing rural town in the country for more than 10 years,” he said, increasing at a faster rate any government predictions.

He wants to work with council and convert the school site into new parks and reserves land which

will be required when other residential developments near Cambridge Raceway get underway.

Smith was milking cows in St Kilda when he learned construction on Waikato Expressway would cut his farm in half, so he and his father developed a plan to establish a subdivision with a rural lifestyle and residential feel.

Work began on St Kilda in 2013, and the first residents moved in the following year. On the other side of the expressway, they developed Saffron Estate taking on NZTA over acoustics, so the expressway made little audio

impact on its urban boundary. The Waikato University Management School graduate and father-offive is enthusiastic about Cambridge.

“I get a little bit too passionate sometimes about what we’re trying to achieve, and sometimes that’s a little bit misunderstood. But if we are passionate, we’ll fight hard for it,” said Smith.

He understands why the district name is Waipā but said it makes it difficult to market Cambridge developments like Bridleways Estate because few people outside Waikato understand where Waipā is.

Hence the reason they recently sponsored the New Zealand squash championships in Christchurch because their Bridleways branding went on the front of the transportable court, above the T (the area above the centre line), and could be seen around the world.

They will keep their eye on the analytics and see if that investment paid off, but the sports-mad Smith got a lot of fun when friends from around New Zealand rang him about it.

Jono Gibson Funeral Director

a school.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill

Matt Smith in the Bridleways Estate development west of Cambridge. Photo: Mary Anne Gill

Plan risk data challenged

Chris Gardner continues his review of submissions on the proposed waste to energy plant in Te Awamutu.

The human health risk assessment completed for the Paewira Waste to Energy Plant contains contradictory and selective data and should raise alarm bells, according to a general practitioner opposed to the plant.

Dr Crispin Langston, former occupational medicine advisor to the British Army’s Catterick Garrison, said a report from Sydney based Environmental Risk Sciences noted hospital admissions for childhood asthma in the Waikato region exceed the national average while a recent Health and Air Pollution in New Zealand study recognised oxides of nitrogen as an especial risk for childhood asthma.

Last May Langston spoke for a group of Canterbury doctors opposed to building waste to energy plants in New Zealand when they warned of potential health risks if one went ahead in Kaipara, Northland.

The Environmental Protection Authority will also consider an application for a Waste to Energy plant in South Canterbury.

Langston said the Te Awamutu applicant Global Contracting Solutions’ submitted report stated that there was “no significant indication that the population could

be considered more vulnerable than the NZ population overall to project related stressors”.

“Such contradictory and selective data analysis should always raise alarm bells,” Langston said.

“A standard risk analysis approach is to identify background levels and show that any contribution from a new project is below threshold.

“If we are already assessing toxins at approaching threshold levels, and with accumulative and probably latent effects, it makes no sense to add anything more into the environment. It is stated that toxic emissions, even of accumulative chemicals, will be of little effect greater than 1.5km from the plant, and that such discharges cannot change concentrations in the atmosphere at large distances. Significant evidence exists indicating that this is incorrect, and accumulation may occur even hundreds of miles from source.”

He said the human health risk assessment did not consider latent harm, which may remain unidentified for years or even decades, and yet be catastrophic,” he said, citing lead, and dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) as examples.”

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Council boosts media following

Waipā’s communication and engagement team issued 66 media releases in the three months from November 1 to keep the community engaged and updated on the council’s work.

Many were picked up and published in full by media outlets or used as a basis for broader stories, an eight monthly report to the Finance and Corporate committee yesterday said.

The information only report under the name of financial accountant Nada Milne wraps up the council’s performance for the committee.

The council had more social media followers, increased

website traffic and community feedback from its four platforms on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

It also implemented a more “tactical” approach to communication through media releases which took a proactive approach to communicating high-profile community issues.

They included releases on the Cambridge Water Tower, Cambridge Connections, waste to energy plant, Waikato Water Done Well, double decker buses, Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant, Cambridge Pathway’s completion and Shakespeare St interim repairs.

The communications team also reported on a community

celebration it organised on December 13 to honour Waipā’s record number of Olympians and Paralympians.

The event which coincided with other key sporting events boosted Waipā’s sporting profile and saw the district’s Home of Champions spirit shine through as residents came together to celebrate the achievements of their local heroes, the report said.

The News reported the council spent nearly $15,700 on the event which included a civic function and Party in the Park at Victoria Square which was described as a “disaster” by the Chamber of Commerce because so few people attended.

Olympians and paralympians prepare for a tug of war at the Party in the Park event on Victoria Square in December.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill

Maadi parade - no cause for alarm

By Mary Anne Gill

Cambridge streets were packed on Sunday as supporters and students from the 150 schools competing at Lake Karāpiro in the national secondary schools rowing championships lined up with their banners in Wilson Street.

The anticipation was building when the fire alarm went off beside the competitors just seconds before the 12.30pm start.

Most thought it was part

of the parade and prepared to set off - but welcome to Cambridge where the fire station is in the centre of town and everyone usually stops for the volunteer firefighters.

So, when bystanders saw Simon Barton racing down Wilson Street in his Red Band gumboots, shorts and T-shirt, they thought nothing of it until minutes later he was behind the wheel of a fire engine bound for what turned out to be a false alarm at Ingham Enterprises in Leamington.

Fire chief Dennis Hunt said it was the first time he could recall the siren going off when the streets were cordoned off for a parade.

Competitors, led by Cambridge High and St Peter’s School, marched down Victoria Street behind a police car as thousands packed the sidewalks with mobile phones and shouting support.

They gathered in Victoria Square, where Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan gave the welcoming speech at a regatta which holds special

significance for her, her first as a rowing mum. Daughter Lily is in a novice Waikato Diocesan crew.

“You’ve trained through early mornings, bracing the cold waters through countless hours, you’ve pushed through, wrestled with blisters and exhaustion.

Yes, you’ve faced challenges, but you overcame them driven by the goal of standing here today at Maadi, ready to be your best,” said O’Regan.

Maadi ambassador and gold medal winner Michael

Brake spoke of the sacrifices made and reminded competitors to always remember the people that supported them to get to Maadi and the coaches who pushed them when they needed it.

While the parade was on, 90 volunteers were getting things ready out at Lake Karāpiro.

Chief umpire Steve Brine and safety officer Greg Liddy were about to deliver the safety briefing when The News popped in while Glenda Sullivan and Paula

Storey were preparing packages for the prize winners.

Down at the finish line jetty, Diane Davidson was handing out numbers for the rowing boats and ticking off competitors as they got out and entered the water for training.

An economic impact study from Maadi in 2021 estimated the value to the area at more than $13 million.

This year’s regatta finishes on Saturday at Lake Karāpiro.

A New Era for Cambridge based Alpha First

Alpha First is an established Private Credit platform that specialises in property funding, offering wholesale investors the opportunity to invest in standalone loans secured by first mortgages.

To date, Alpha First investors have invested more than $750 million, funding standalone mortgage-backed property loans.

A recent change in shareholding has seen four families acquire a majority interest in Alpha First. Individually their shareholder representatives have extensive interests and experience in property, direct investments, and financial services sectors. This expertise and insightfulness will be invaluable in guiding the company, identifying opportunities, and managing risk. Stephen Crerar, one of the new shareholders and recently appointed Managing Director brings 30 years of senior leadership experience across banking, investment, and property sectors.

“Over the last decade Private Credit has developed into an accepted asset class, playing an important role in portfolio diversification for both institutional and individual wholesale investors,” Stephen explains.

“Whilst this market in New Zealand is in a relatively early stage, it is part of a worldwide trend and momentum continues to build. Private Credit investing provides an attractive option for traditional fixed income investors and those seeking an alternative to equities.”

“Alpha First are good people with good values who share my own careful and conservative investment approach. I believe honesty and transparency build sustainable long-term relationships so I’m looking forward to getting to know more investors throughout Waikato and personally presenting future opportunities to them.”

The team facilitating Private Credit investments requires a strong understanding of the property market, banking and property law, exceptionally strong risk management skills and strategic insight to achieve the best results. And this is where Alpha First truly shines.

Similarly qualified and experienced in the sector are the Alpha First Investment Relationship Managers, Bruce BodleyDavies and Olivia Fraser.

Bruce explains that “Alpha First’s approach is different from many other wholesale investment providers. “We’re not a managed fund, nor do we pool funds. Investors maintain control, choosing the opportunities they want to

invest in, and we don’t deduct costs or fees from investor returns.”

Registering with Alpha First enables potential investors to see what is available, without the requirement to commit any funds.

“Alpha First are good people with good values who share my own careful and conservative investment approach. I believe honesty and transparency build sustainable long-term relationships so I’m looking forward to getting to know more investors throughout Waikato and personally presenting future opportunities to them.”

To learn more and understand if this could be right for your consideration; we invite wholesale and eligible investors to contact Bruce (mobile 021 520 068), Olivia, or Stephen to arrange a meeting at our Cambridge offices. For more info, visit www.alphafirst.co.nz or call 0800 555 621 to schedule an appointment with us.

Alpha First’s offices are situated at Level 1, Unit 104, 86 Alpha Street, Cambridge.

L to R: Bruce Bodley-Davies, Olivia Fraser, Stephen Crerar.

Bricktopia brings people together through the creative and rehabilitative power of Lego. Donations go to Brain Injury Waikato.

When: Sat 29 March, 10am-2pm at Resthaven Village Centre

Roll up, roll up, and run away with circus workshops for a day!

When: Sat 5 April, 10am-11.30am at Cambridge Primary School

Book Talk and Musical Event by local author Holly Christina.

When: Fri 28 March, 5.30pm at Cambridge Library. Bookings essential https://www.waipalibraries.org.nz/ events/harp-and-the-lyre-book-talkand-musical-event/235

A family and beginner friendly day of tabletop role-playing!

When: Sat 5 April, 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm at Taylor Made Community Space Entry: $5 at the door

Volunteer fire fighter Simon Barton races down Wilson Street in front of supporters towards the Fire Station just as the parade was to get underway. More www.cambridgenews.nz Photos: Mary Anne Gill

Cambridge High School lead the way at the head of the parade through the streets.

St Peter’s School, Cambridge walk onto Victoria Square for the welcome.

Waipa mayor Susan O’Regan welcomes competitors and their families to Cambridge and Lake Karāpiro.

Veteran Cambridge photographer Michael Jeans captures another Maadi Regatta. He has lost count how many he has photographed.

Volunteers at Lake Karāpiro include, from left Geoff Taggart of Pleasant Point near Timaru, Jack Quirk, Glenda Sullivan, Greg Liddy, Kim Harrison, Paula Storey and Steve Brine.

Fete would have it…

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Mega Centre, 670 Cambridge Rd, Te Awamutu

What is a fete? Leaning upon that wellthumbed tome the Oxford Dictionary I am informed that it is an outdoor public function usually to garner funds for charity.

What better setting to hold one last Sunday than under the shadow of the tall yacht-mast flagpole that adorns Lauriston Park on Māori Hill – the highest point in what was once the borough of Leamington and later Cambridge?

Under the watchful eye of the immaculate straw boater and striped blazer of the Gaelic Eric Hillerton (once renowned as a dairy industry academic) the Cambridge Brass Band entertained the ‘full house’ attendance of village residents and their families.

The queue for the freshly-served Pimms was evidence of the need for libaceous embellishment which then livened up the proceedings. Many village ladies had toiled hard to create – from a single and common recipe – many scrumptious Victoria sandwich cakes with the mouth-watering winner emerging from the kitchen of Cheryl Whitfield.

Abundant displays of flowers and vegetables included Helen Lacey’s enormous pumpkin example putting others to shame. And while single bloom flowers took several prizes in the garden-side entries, similar efforts were evident in the dozen-or-so flower-bedecked wide-brimmed bonnets of the ladies intent on claiming a first prize.

Pat Harbutt, already the winner of the mixed blooms flower display, emerged on top of this colourful headgear group but just by a whisker (or a petal perhaps – sorry).

Scones and jam were plentiful being put together in the historical Homestead kitchen. Outside, Sue’s tombola was in full swing, small dogs were judged mainly for

their

The early Autumn afternoon brought together a lovely feeling of contentment, fun, togetherness and exactly the right social atmosphere that a well-run retirement village should engender and maintain.

clothing adornments and the two Ians (Hughes and Ewart) extended their usual Happy Hour Friday afternoon clowning antics by running a “horse” race.

Carol Grant displays a lovely chapeau at the Fete.

Photo: Richard Lummus

Hall season schedule unveiled

By Mary Anne Gill

If you felt inspired to play the bassoon after hearing Todd Gibson-Cornish at the launch of the Cambridge Town Hall season last week, be prepared for some hard work.

But the resulting sound, particularly in a hall rapidly gaining kudos among musicians for its acoustics, is well worth the effort.

Todd is principal bassoon of the Sydney

Symphony Orchestra and now calls Cambridge home because his mother, Orchestras Central chief executive Catherine Gibson, lives there.

She plays the oboe while daughter Bryony plays viola in an international string quartet.

Todd waited nine years and paid several thousand dollars for his hand made maple bassoon. It is one of the hardest instruments to play because of the intense breathing

New light shed on St Paul’s

By Chris Gardner

A window through which the residents of the settlement of Rangiaowhia looked, is in place after critical restoration work.

Christchurch based conservators have restored the 170-year-old window at the altar of St Paul’s Anglican Church on Rangiaowhia Road midway between Te Awamutu and Cambridge, to its rightful place.

The church opened in 1856, welcoming worshippers from Rangiaowhia who were driven from the land by the British Army in the New Zealand Wars in February 1864.

The window was removed more than a year ago by Stewart Stained Glass after cracks appeared in the enamel and the wooden frame.

Parish priest Julie Guest was delighted to see the window restored and its temporary vinyl replacement was removed after the parish raised $80,000 for the project.

“As one of the restoration team said, it’s so much more dynamic when the light shines through,” she said.

control needed to blow air into the reed and play notes.

At times during his performance of Paginini, it looked like he would need a respirator at the end of it, but hard work and practice has made him into one of the world’s in-demand bassoonists.

Todd will next appear in the Town Hall in September as part of the Cambridge Chamber Music Festival one of several events unveiled at a Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event.

It also featured St Peter’s School student Ava Kirk – who sang Stay by Rihanna - who will feature in the Teen Music Festival in July organised by her and fellow Battle of the Bands winner Georgia Davis.

Town Hall general manager Simon Brew,

who himself will perform in a fundraiser concert later in the year, said world class performers as well as long running, much loved community events would be part of the season.

They would run while renovations in the Victoria and Edwardian rooms were completed.

They and the diverse range of events appealing to a broad range of people helped breathe new life into the hall, he told about 100 people gathered for the launch.

The premier concert series started after the launch with London-based singer songwriter Blair Jollands.

Other highlights include body building next month, a boxing fight night in July and a karaoke night in August.

Meanwhile, the parish has raised enough money to replace copper spouting stolen from the old church, one of the Waikato’s two category one historic buildings.

The parish insurance company has agreed to reroof the church office which had copper stolen at the end of last year.

Guest said plans for similar work at St John’s Anglican Church had been parked.

“The team created a printed replica of the window which has been in place for the year while we continued to fund-raise the cost of repair. The replica was amazing, but not very transparent so the whole church was darker.”

Todd Gibson-Cornish plays the bassoon at the Cambridge Town Hall season launch held in association with the Chamber of Commerce.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill

The historic stained-glass window at St Paul’s Anglican Church in Rangiaowhia has been restored at a cost of $80,000.

Listening to people

By Jo Davies-Colley, Chair, Cambridge Community Board

The Cambridge Community Board public forum before every meeting is a powerful platform for the community voice to be heard.

Listening to the residents of Cambridge and their concerns is a vital step in advocating for everyone. Sometimes our meeting room is overflowing with people, such as during the Cambridge Connections community response, or sometimes there is just a few people. Regardless, it is one of the most important things we do as a community board.

Over the last two months we have heard from different groups.

A year after the launch of the Cambridge Connections project, we still have members of the public seeking updates, asking questions and connecting with us over this important project. With a project reset underway, the community board is staying close to the process and ongoing developments.

Members of Cambridge’s new Public Art Trust attended our last meeting and gave us an update on their vision to raise funding for art in public spaces, on private properties and a public art trail, allowing people to walk, cycle or drive to art around the Cambridge area.

This will have a Cambridge feel and will celebrate our river and trees, sport, agriculture, Māori history and culture and much more, allowing Cambridge stories to be told through art.

All the art will have an attached QR code so people can learn more about the artist and their work. This exciting venture will launch in August.

We also had a presentation on the Sports Hall of Fame and an exciting proposed rebrand of the Velodrome to the Waipa Arena creating a future hub of events and activities, music, concerts, and sport.

Included in this is the Sports Hall of Fame, transported from Dunedin, reimagined and given a new lease of life in Cambridge.

The Sports Hall of Fame will include sports artefacts and a digital experience including immersive technology with a focus on inspiring the next generation into sports and recreation.

This will be a modern and innovative curated celebration of our sporting heroes across New Zealand many, of course, from Cambridge.

A group of residents concerned with the proposed fluoridation of the Cambridge town water supply also presented to us.

They outlined some of the reasons for their concerns as well as giving some examples of actions being taken by other councils around New Zealand.

As fluoridation of our town water supply is a directive from the Director General of Health, rather than a local government decision, the community board’s role in this issue is to hear the concerns of all groups who have an opinion on this issue and communicate this to council on their behalf.

The voices and opinions heard in our public forum whether from a large crowd or just a few individuals, are all important. We welcome anyone from the community to attend and discuss your concerns with us on any local issue.

Finding safety and freedom

By Murray Smith, Bridges Church

As an only child, my dad hadn’t even reached the age of two when his father was killed in a workplace accident on a construction site.

My knowledge of this grandfather is a bit sketchy. From photos, bits of information and stories passed on, this handsome man with a bushy moustache was a loving young husband and father, an honourable man living out a deep faith, and a highly skilled builder.

In a little leather wallet, we have the red tram ticket he purchased to travel to the worksite where he died later that day.

This sad story of loss might not have unfolded in today’s workplace under current safety standards. In our work environments, safety is a big deal regulated by strictly enforced requirements. Modern policies and practices aimed at reducing risk and promoting safety have no doubt helped to prevent accidents and the tragedy of lost lives.

Negligence with workplace and industry protocols attract hefty penalties if companies are found remiss. The risk of prosecution and fines provides huge incentive for companies to ensure safety prevails and to avoid punishment.

Thousands of years ago in ancient Israel a very different set of provisions was in place for the ‘safety’ and protection of anyone who accidentally harmed someone else. I’ve visited the remains of “cities of refuge” which were designated as safe havens where people could flee, having accidentally killed another person… that is, caused another’s death in unpremeditated and ‘non-hateful’ circumstances. In such cases the likelihood

was high for the victim’s family to claim it was their right to exact their own retribution on ones who were inadvertently responsible for causing a life to be lost.

The Bible describes these cities of refuge as safe places offering asylum, providing protection for an individual—a ‘manslayer’, who had accidentally caused death from being harmed or killed in retribution before a fair trial could be held. The six cities were a shelter where a person could find refuge. Cities of refuge played an important role in establishing justice and mercy in a setting where vengeful people would not forgive, despite knowing a death was accidental. In the Bible, ’cities of refuge’ were an illustrative picture of a future reality, yet to be revealed. A city of refuge was a ‘picture’ of what Jesus, who was prophesied throughout the scriptures as the Messiah, would be like… he would be the ultimate safe and strong refuge anyone can run to for justice, mercy and forgiveness.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

(Proverbs 18 :10)

Lastly, an important fact… if the death of Israel’s serving High Priest occurred while a person sought safety in a city of refuge, it bought them immediate and full exoneration. This additional ‘picture’ of Jesus, saviour of the world (and Great High Priest), relates to everyone. His death on the cross provided salvation and freedom for all who’ll receive it.

Community Connect

March 27, 2025

Calling all Waipā waste-busters!

Have a creative idea to reduce waste and help your community shine? Waipā District Council has $50,000 (thanks to Central Government) to help bring your waste-busting project to life

Whether you’re an individual, a teacher, part of a marae, an organisation or a local group, this is your chance to grab a share of the Waste Minimisation Community Fund.

Waste minimisation advisor Shelley Wilson said it’s all about turning waste challenges into exciting new solutions — we want to support projects that help rethink, reduce and reuse waste.

“It’s amazing to see how a little creativity can go a long way. We’re excited to see what projects will come through this year’s funding round.”

One project that grew as a result of the fund last year was Street Harvest, which expanded its neighbourhood gardens. The project provides worm farms where people can dispose of their food scraps, and veggie gardens for fresh produce. Thanks to the fund, the project has tripled the amount of food scraps being processed, and produced more food as a result.

Project manager Elise Badger said what started out as a way to reduce waste and grow food has turned

into something really special. “It brings neighbours together for a good chat and some community bonding. Our planting days are always a highlight!”

Wilson said it was a perfect example of how a small idea can grow into something that can benefit the whole community.

The funding is provided to councils from the Ministry for the Environment’s waste disposal levy.

Don’t wait — applications close at 5pm Friday, April 18. For all the details and to apply, head to wastelesswaipa.co.nz/wastefund

Roadworks in Cambridge

Major works are happening on Cambridge Road (near the Velodrome) over the next month, so please expect delays and plan your journey carefully

Work will start on Monday, March 31 between 6am and 8pm with Stop/Go traffic management in place between Ngaki Drive and the new roundabout.

The good news is that both lanes of traffic will be diverted to the new roundabout before Easter.

Please continue to follow the instructions of the teams on-site, and we thank you for your continued patience.

Pirongia skatepark on the right track

Young people who helped design Pirongia’s first skatepark have given a ‘big thumbs up’ to the final plans

The park, which will feature a variety of quarter pipes, bowls, ramps and ledges, will be located next to the Pirongia Rugby and Sports Club, on a Waipā District Council-owned site at 341 Franklin Road.

Council allocated $100,000 through its 202131 Long Term Plan for site selection, planning, consenting and design. The Pirongia Skatepark Community Project is working to raise $800,000 for construction, including offering supporters the chance to have their names engraved on a brick at the skatepark.

Community services manager Brad Ward said feedback on the proposed layout and features of the park showed the council has its plans right. Nearly 140 people participated in the consultation last August through an online and hardcopy survey, a drop-in session and an engagement session at Pirongia School. Most of the responses came from Pirongia School students, with 87 percent of feedback from tamariki aged 15 and younger. Ward said it was great to hear from so many young people about a project the Pirongia community has been passionate about for years, and it helped the project team finalise a design the town could be proud of.

“Doing early engagement in 2023 helped significantly. It gave us valuable insight into what Pirongia wanted in their future skatepark, from the skill level to the features included.

“Now the community group can focus on fundraising and applying for grants. We’re excited to see this project come to life and to provide Pirongia with a valuable asset for future generations.”

What’s on this week

The bumper month of events continues!

• Maadi Rowing Regatta Finals: March 29

• Cambridge Autumn Festival: March 28 – April 6

• Cambridge Raceway Night of Champions – April 4

• New Zealand Dragon Boat National Championships: April 4 - 5

Check out w whatsonwaipa.co.nz or scan the QR code for more!

Street Harvest Neighbourhood Gardens.

A TRAILER TO LOAN

Our ancient salt

Salt is part of our everyday lives, whether we are eating it or swimming in ocean water. Before it reaches our kitchens, salt is collected in several ways. One method involves evaporating salty water, leaving the salt behind to be harvested. Another source is rock salt, or halite, which forms when large bodies of salty water evaporate over time. These deposits, called evaporites, can originate from vast inland seas that existed hundreds of millions of years ago.

If you use Himalayan salt, that mineral has had quite the journey before arriving in stores. It is mined from the aptly named “Salt Range” in Pakistan, within what geologists call a fold-and-thrust belt. These massive geological features form when tectonic plates collide, causing rock layers to deform over immense timescales. Imagine pushing a rug along the floor—it folds and buckles as it bunches up. Similarly, when large faults develop, rock layers can be thrust over one another, creating complex geological structures.

One fascinating property of salt is that, under the right conditions, it flows. When thick layers of salt (ranging from

By Janine Krippner

hundreds of meters to a kilometre in thickness) are buried by sediments over geologic time, they experience uneven pressure, causing the salt to move. Picture a mattress-sized slab of putty: if you roll over it, the putty will bulge outward, shifting away from the applied pressure.

Salt can also migrate or move toward the surface, forming large domes or even flowing across the land like a glacier. If you search for “Zagros Mountains salt glaciers” online, you’ll find stunning images of multi-coloured salt formations, some even imaged from space to show their impressive size.

On the seafloor, salt can emerge at the surface and, thanks to a thin protective layer that prevents it from dissolving, create striking geological features. These are particularly abundant on the continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico.

Buried salt deposits can also play important role in oil and gas accumulation. Because salt is impermeable, it acts as a natural barrier, trapping migrating hydrocarbons beneath the surface.

Salt can come in different colours, depending on its composition. Pure

sodium chloride (NaCl) is colourless, while pink Himalayan salt gets its distinctive hue from trace amounts of iron oxide. This is similar to how minerals like quartz exhibit various colours depending on the presence of other elements.

It’s truly remarkable when you think about it. A vast inland sea slowly evaporates, leaving behind a thick salt deposit. Over millions of years, this deposit is buried beneath layers of sediment, becoming part of the rock record. Eventually, the salt, being less dense and more buoyant than the surrounding rock, begins to rise back toward the surface—just like oil in water or magma in the Earth’s crust. And after this long, extraordinary journey, we harvest it for food, decoration, or even to make salt lamps.

The next time you use Himalayan or other rock salt, I hope you take a moment to appreciate the incredible history this ancient mineral has travelled through time and space.

Experienced professionals. Local specialists. Quality advice.

Cambridge | 07 827 5147

Hamilton | 07 848 1222 www.lewislawyers.co.nz

Experienced professionals. Local specialists. Quality advice.

Experienced professionals. Local specialists. Quality advice.

Cambridge | 07 827 5147

Cambridge | 07 827 5147

Hamilton | 07 848 1222 www.lewislawyers.co.nz

Hamilton | 07 848 1222 www.lewislawyers.co.nz

UNLOCK YOUR BUCKET LIST ADVENTURE

Whether it’s visiting the Eiffel Tower, or a cruise around the Mediterranean, Ryman are giving you the opportunity to tick a destination off your bucket list.

When you move into an independent apartment or townhouse, we’ll give you a $15,000 House of Travel Gift Card*.

Ryman’s lock and leave lifestyle means you’re free to take off, knowing your home will be cared for. With fewer chores and more freedom, now is the perfect time to explore.

Where will your next adventure take you?

*Participating villages only, terms & conditions

Alys Antiques & Fine Art

Perhaps, possibly, purportedly

By Peter Nicholl

The Government held a major Foreign Investment Forum in Auckland in mid-March.

and funded.

They see increased foreign investment as a way to moderate many of our major economic problems: increase our anaemic economic growth, reduce our enormous infrastructure deficit and improve our poor productivity performance.

They see PPP projects (Public, Private Partnerships) as a good way to attract increased foreign investment to New Zealand.

One thing Chris Bishop did tell the forum was that New Zealand is the fourth worst country in the OECD at maintaining its infrastructure assets. We should be ashamed of that.

There seems to be a plea in the government’s invitation to foreign investors that we need them to come into New Zealand to sort out the problems we have in designing and managing large infrastructure projects.

We should also be ashamed of that too.

public sector bearing the lion’s share of the risks and costs.

The government has announced it is setting up a new agency, the National Infrastructure Funding and Financing Ltd, to be New Zealand’s ‘shopfront’ for infrastructure investment.

This seems to be a typical New Zealand policy approach to a problem – set up a new agency and tell them it is their job to solve the problem.

Chest of Drawers, Mahogany, Finely moulded Ogee Feet, 104cm high, 119 wide, 52 deep, End 18th, early 19th C, good condition.

Jules Duffart, French, 1924- French Town View, OilonBoard,Signed

Letters to the Editor

• Letters should not exceed 200 words

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• All letters to be emailed to editor@goodlocal.nz

• No noms-de-plume

• Letters will be published with names

• Please include full name, address and contact details for our records only

• Letters may be edited, abridged, or rejected at the editor’s discretion

• The editor’s decision on publication is final.

One aim of the forum was to show that New Zealand was open for business and welcomed foreign investment. But New Zealand has been open to foreign investment for a long time.

The current level of foreign investment in New Zealand is already around $540 billion.

Infrastructure minister Chris Bishop had a major role at the forum. He said New Zealand had a $200 billion long-term pipeline of infrastructure projects that were looking for funding.

But it seems that only four relatively small-scale projects were actually ready for discussion at the forum.

This makes the timing of the forum seem unusual. After the forum, there were no announcements of new infrastructure deals being negotiated

There is no guarantee that PPP contractors will be better at maintaining infrastructure assets.

The priority for the private sector participants in any PPP scheme is to make profits.

In the United Kingdom, for example, when a lot of their rail network was handed over to private companies to manage, maintenance problems continued to exist and, indeed, the problems sometimes got worse, and the maintenance costs ended back on the government’s plate.

If the New Zealand public sector has problems managing these things when they control the whole project, they will have difficulty ensuring that future PPP schemes in New Zealand don’t finish up with the private sector participants getting the lion’s share of the profits and the New Zealand

But New Zealand has three major problems when it comes to infrastructure investment.

First is the country’s small size. There is nothing this new agency or the government can do about that.

Second is that most infrastructure projects are very long term and will straddle the terms of multiple governments. Only our political parties can work out a way to address that problem.

The third problem is our poor performance at designing and managing infrastructure projects. We really need to be finding ways to solve, or at least reduce, this problem ourselves.

If we contract the solution of this problem to the private participant in our PPP projects, they are more likely to look after their own interests than to solve our problems.

Friedrich Winckler-Tannenberg Berlin 1888-1945 Klabautermann (Ship’s Kobold) Woodcut for Kunst und Leben Initials in the plate. 1930. Conservation framing

This Sunday 30 March 10am-2pm Victoria Street, Victoria Square & Town Hall

Over 200 performers of different genres, and over 60 genuine Art Stalls, all on the footpaths of Victoria Street and the lawns of Victoria Square. The town centre will come alive! Experience an array of entertainment from easy listening music to jazz, a flash mob, and much, much more. Enjoy performances from our talented local dance groups, bring the kids along for face painting, sugar art, plus photo opportunities with roaming street performers. Admire artists' work, woodturners in action, glassware to jewellery, and clothing to pottery.

Then take a stroll to the Town Hall for the Art Exhibition + Sale, and visit the Exhibition of Photos and Quilts in the St Andrew's Church Hall. Come and enjoy this amazing community day!

Hosts top at Owl farm school event

By Jesse Wood

Students from five King Country, Waipā and Hauraki high schools converged for the third education and agriskills event at Owl Farm, St Peter’s School, Cambridge last week.

Since 2015, Owl Farm has been one of three demonstration farms in New Zealand. It is a joint venture with Lincoln University and funding partners.

The 160-hectare dairy farm is between the St Peter’s campus and the Waikato River.

For 90 years, the land has grown produce for the school kitchen and gives the students opportunities to learn farming skills.

About 100 teenagers from Hauraki Plains College, Ōtorohanga College, Piopio College, St Peter’s and Te Awamutu College put their agricultural abilities to the test at the event.

Attendees completed eight learning modules before an interschool agri-skills race after lunch.

Race activities included tying a terminal fence knot before attaching it to an insulator to set up a portable fence, identifying beef breeds, mixing and using spray chemicals, identifying income and expenses, identifying fertiliser and seed types, potting and identifying native plants, labelling parts of a cow, stacking and securing hay bales and dressing a wound.

The host school came out on top with teams in first and second, followed by Piopio College with the bronze.

“It means a lot. We kept our heads up, worked as a team, got through it and got the win,” St Peter’s winning team member Hunter Redman said.

“I reckon the secret was just working as a team. We prepared a lot coming up to this and we were mentally prepared. We just kept at it.”

The champion team now have their school’s name engraved on the Owl Farm Secondary Schools Agri Challenge shield twice.

Owl Farm demonstration

manager Jo Sheridan said the organisers were thankful for the help from Young Farmer clubs in the Cambridge area and Owl Farm’s industry partners along with the St Peter’s agriculture teachers.

“Even though it was very hot the students were great participants - asking lots of questions in the education modules in the morning and giving everything a go in the agri-skills race,” Sheridan said.

“Many of these students will go on to compete at Regional Young Farmer events where they test their skills amongst the best.

“These events give students confidence in their abilities to contribute to the food and fibre industry and allow them to see the huge range of opportunities available in the industry.

“We are grateful for the efforts of the teachers that build on these skills in the classroom and we are excited to see the contribution these students will make in the food and fibre industry.”

Pirongia project boost

By Dani Simpson

A group dedicated to restoring Mt Pirongia’s biodiversity is a recipient of a Waikato Regional Council grant to help boost their efforts.

Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society will receive $303,000 over three years towards its Kia Mau Tonu Kaitiakitanga o Pirongia project.

Established in 2002 as a community-led initiative to support, protect and enhance the native flora and fauna on Mt Pirongia, the society is expanding pest animal control operations to protect the spreading population of kōkako.

The maunga is the highest in the Waikato at 959 metres, while Pirongia Forest Park covers 17,000ha and contains the largest tract of unbroken native forest left in the Waikato.

Society chair Kevin Christie said the aim is to bring the maunga and ngahere (forest) back to life. And they’re certainly making that happen.

He said kōkako had been locally extinct on the maunga for 20 years. The last survivors

were captured in 1995 and kōkako were listed as a threatened species by the DoC.

“After a series of kōkako translocations back to the maunga they now have an established population. Their conservation status is listed as ‘nationally increasing’ in the North Island which means we no longer received direct funding from DoC for our work related to the species,” Christie said.

Among the of work that the society’s hundreds of volunteers undertakes is helping protect and enhance threatened native flora including Dactylanthus (wood rose), running pest and predator control operations reintroducing native mistletoe, bat monitoring, and working towards opening up a heritage school building which will act as an enviro centre for education purposes.

The funding comes on the back of Waikato Regional Council increasing their natural heritage rate per property to $15 a year. It used to be $5.80.

The society has finalised a 20-year strategy which sets out aspirations for the maunga under “Our maunga, our mahi, our heart, our home” and will guide their work until 2045.

TE AWA LIFECARE

MAIN STREET CARNIVAL 10AM  2PM

SUNDAY 30TH MARCH

VICTORIA SQUARE STAGE

9.45am – 10.15am Cambridge & Districts Pipe Band

10.15am – 11am Ben Gilgen Jazz Combo

11.20am – 12noon HBHS Big Band

12.15pm – 1pm HBHS Jazz Combo

1.15pm – 2pm CHS Jazz Band

DAYDREAM ESPRESSO

10.15am – 10.45am Anna Olivia – singer/songwriter 11am – 11.45am Alby Collier – singer/guitar 12noon – 12.45pm Holly Christina – singer/songwriter 1pm – 1.45pm Alby Collier – singer/guitar

FRAN’S CAFÉ

10am – 10.45am Daniel Peters – rhythmic pulse

11.15am – 11.45am Zoë Clarke – violinist

12.15pm – 12.45pm Alan Sayers – singer/guitar 1.15pm – 2pm Andy Starr – electric guitar

ANTIQUES ON VICTORIA

10.45am – 11.15am The Juke Box Duets

11.45am – 12.15pm The Juke Box Duets 12.45pm – 1.15pm The Juke Box Duets

BNZ CORNER

10am – 10.30am Strive Performing Arts

10.30am – 11am Cruisers Rock ‘n’ Roll Dancers 11am - 11.30am Affirmation - band

11.30am – 12noon KS School of Dance 12noon – 1pm Ignite Arts Academy 1pm – 2pm Riverside Ukes

ROUGE COURTYARD

10.00am – 10.45am MOSAIC Choir

11.15am – 1.00pm St Peter’s music students 1.15pm – 2.00pm Cherie Holden

PLUS ROAMING STREET PERFORMERS, FACE PAINTERS, A FLASH MOB AND MORE!

The champion St Peter’s team in action.

Photo: Jesse Wood

Facing up to a ‘very real’ threat

By Viv Posselt

New Zealanders are being cautioned against complacency as the global environment faces swiftly-changing security and trade challenges and around 250 cyber attacks a second .

Our geographical distance from major conflicts affords no buffer to their effects, says Cambridge’s Jon Broadley, a business advisor and long-time military officer who is also a brigadier in the New Zealand Defence Force and vice-president of the Cambridge RSA.

Broadley was speaking at this month’s meeting of Cambridge U3A, addressing the topic of New Zealand Defence Force operations within the current complex global security environment.

He said New Zealand is not engaged in a globe-spanning conventional war as was the case with the first and second world wars, but the challenges and threats to our security and way of life are very real.

“I am referring to terrorism, and the related interstate and internal conflicts across the globe,” he said. “The Global Peace Index last year identified 56 major conflicts, the largest number since WW2, involving 92 countries, or 47 per cent of the 195 countries around the world. The more reported on are those between Ukraine and Russia, and Israel and Palestine, but there are many others.

“Cyber attacks are also a very real threat. It is estimated that between 100-250 attacks are happening across the globe every second of the day, creating further challenges we need to be cognisant of.”

Maritime security, including piracy, also

affects our collective international security, he added, sucking up a large amount of resources in countries seeking to keep sea lanes free and fish stocks sustainable.

He noted North Korea’s continuing missile testing and provocative stance, and said China’s recent muscle-flexing, both economically and militarily, was concerning.

“Closer to home, we face resource

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challenges with monitoring our vast Exclusive Economic Zone, which is one of the world’s largest, and our friends, the Pacific Island nations, need regular assistance, especially when facing issues such as tropical cyclones or search and rescue.”

Broadley said at an area of 30 million square kilometres, New Zealand’s Search

and Rescue zone of responsibility was one of the largest in the world.

“But these are not the only defence and security issues we face. Globalisation has made the impacts of global events local,” he said. “I don’t think anybody takes seriously arguments that New Zealand should hunker down and isolate itself from the world. We cannot afford to.”

As a trading nation, New Zealand has a vital stake in the international system, one that has helped ensure our economic prosperity as a trading nation that is far from world markets.

“Of our $90 billion export earning last year, China took about 26 per cent, the US and Australia about 13 per cent each, and the UK only about three per cent, so our prosperity is inextricably linked to our exporting partners across the globe.

“Therefore, we must care when one country invades another in eastern Europe, when instability in the Middle East is supported by countries such as Iran and Yemen, and when groups of foreign fighters and pirates pop up in various parts of the world. We must be cognisant of the South China Sea and southwest Pacific security debate to ensure we understand its potential impact to New Zealand’s economic interest.”

Broadley said whatever role New Zealand’s government decides it will play needs to be comprehensive in its considerations of political, societal and economic contributions.

“Military power and resources can only really offer the opportunity to create the space for more enduring solutions.”

Jon Broadley, a brigadier with the NZDF and Cambridge businessman, spoke to Cambridge U3A this month. Photo: Viv Posselt

Forage for tea, tonics and gut health

The first thing that strikes you as you enter Forage is the heady aroma of teas. There are over 100 to choose from – herbal, black and green, including matcha, which is still gaining momentum for its fantastic health benefits.

Matcha is powdered green tea leaves, but if you’re one of those who find green tea a bit hard to stomach, it’s probably because you’re brewing it wrong. Just ask Trevor, and he’ll provide advice on making the perfect cuppa.

As for all those teas, let your curiosity be your guide. Trevor also provides a teabag pick ‘n’ mix option that allows you to try multiple varieties before committing to a packet.

With cold pressed juices, smoothies, teas, Trevor’s own freshly brewed kombucha, and a selection of natural tonics made with native herbs, Forage is all about liquid health and wellbeing, with a special emphasis on gut health.

BREATHING) POMODORO, MOZZARELLA, SPICY SALAMI, NDUJA, MASCARPONE $25

TARTUFOSA MOZZARELLA, MUSHROOM, TRUFFLE PASTE, ROCKET, TRUFFLE OIL $25

Forage also offers a selection of gluten, dairy and sugar-free raw slices and bliss balls, crafted from ingredients like macadamia nuts and berries – that’s if you can get past the very popular Snickers slice.

VERDUROSA POMODORO, MOZZARELLA, SEASONAL VEGES, EVO $22

saves on money and packaging.

PORCA POMODORO, MOZZARELLA, SALAME, HAM, SAUSAGE, EVO $26

There’s also an Ecostore refillery, which

ORTO DI MARE MOZZARELLA,

WAIKATO STONECRAFT

With degrees in human nutrition and food science, Forage is Trevor’s passion. He’s personable, knowledgeable, and ready to help. You can also visit Forage online at www.foragejuice.co.nz.

Craig@headstone.co.nz www.headstone.co.nz • Ph 027 492 7279

3434

Owner Trevor Fielding

Cambridge riding high

Cambridge kicked off the Northern Region Football championship league with a 3-0 win over visitors Onehunga-Mangere at the weekend.

Jack Connor opened the scoring at John Kerkhof Park with a penalty after 15 minutes and Cambridge led 1-0 at half time.

Second half goals to Joshua Clarkin and an overhead bicycle kick stunner from Connor got the season off to a great start and well-deserved success for the Reds who were returning to the division they were relegated from in 2009.

Their win in the NRFL Southern Conference last year earned them promotion.

It was an unbeaten start for Waikato in the Northern championship on Saturday.

Melville beat Manukau 2-1 at Walter Massey Park in Auckland, Ngāruawāhia drew 3-3 away at North Shore and Hamilton Wanderers hammered Hibiscus Coast 4-0 at Porritt Stadium to head the table after week one.

Cambridge head north to Allen Hill Stadium in North Shore on Saturday for the second round.

Meanwhile the Cambridge women’s first team will make its debut

in the NRFL championship at home on Sunday against Birkenhead United after its

Shark attack

promotion as champions last season in a playoff against Onehunga Mangere.

COLLISION

CAMBRIDGE VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE C ALLS OVER THE L AST WEEK

CAMBRIDGE VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE CALLS OVER THE LAST WEEK

WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY

9:55am, Cardiac Arrest, Bryce Street

10:46pm, Building alarm sounding, Maungatautari Road

SATURDAY

1:09pm, Building Alarm and evacuation, Ruakura Road 11:56pm, Building Alarm and evacuation, Hautapu Road

FRIDAY

12:30pm, building alarm and evacuation, Cambridge Road 8:30pm, Rubbish fire, Scott St

8:42am, Building Alarm and evacuation. Maungatautari Road

SUNDAY

SUNDAY 3:53am, Medical assistance, Karapiro Road

12:25am, building alarm and evacuation, Cambridge Road

Keeping powered up

Taking care of your car battery is necessary but often forgotten about when looking for reliable vehicle performance, especially in our diverse climate.

It’s important to regularly check your battery every few months for any signs of corrosion, leaks, or loose connections. Clean terminals by using a mixture of baking soda and water to remove buildup. Regular driving keeps the battery charged. If you’re not using your vehicle for extended periods, consider using a

trickle charger to maintain the battery’s charge. Too long without power will see a decreased charge which isn’t good for optimum performance.

Short drives may not give your alternator enough time to fully recharge the battery; longer trips are better for maintaining charge levels.

New Zealand’s sunny summer days can actually cause the battery to overheat. Whenever possible, park your car in a shaded area or garage to prevent heat damage.

Cold winters can also reduce battery performance. Before starting the car, turn off all accessories like lights or the radio to avoid draining the battery, and give it a minute to warm up.

Have your battery tested regularly by a professional, especially before long trips or if you notice slow starts at least once a year. With proper care, your car battery can last longer and perform better, ensuring your vehicle stays road-ready across our varied landscapes and temperatures.

Tamahere Sharks took out the Cambridge Bowling Club’s Twilight Bowls league last month holding out perennial winners All Hacks on the final night. The team of, from left Keith Jones, Bryan Anderson and Bill Edge are shown with the trophy and Twilight Committee chair Don Harris. Gabriel’s Golden Girls won the most popular team prize while Grassyass, comprising Gaynor Hotham, Rob Steenson, Michael Franklin and Pauline Mercer won the consolation event. Photo: Supplied.

Jack Connor’s bicycle kick capped off a winning start for Cambridge.

Balloons a hit in Waipā

By Jesse Wood

Giants were at Albert Park in Te Awamutu on Friday evening as the Balloons visit Waipā event brought fun and colour for all ages.

The hot air balloon visit was part of the annual Hamilton-based Balloons Over Waikato Festival.

The five-day festival has been on the calendar since 1999, bringing visitors and pilots from around the globe.

A free bus service from Cambridge and Leamington connected Waipā residents at the one venue.

Emma Lewis took advantage of the intertown service and was highly impressed.

“Fantastic community spirit. I caught the 4.30pm with my daughter it was full,” Lewis said.

“It was lovely seeing people and children giving up their seats for others.

“Everyone was very cheerful and happy, great ride home too, no problems. It was a fantastic service, especially being free. Nice one Waipā.”

The balloons were tethered, giving fans the perfect opportunity to get up close and personal.

One of the crowd favourites was the huge jack-o-lantern pumpkin Ms Autumn from the United States.

Ms Autumn was created in 1994 and is piloted by Montana’s Colin Graham of Endeavor Ballooning.

Fellow American pilot Gary Moore was there to show the masses his 30-metre plus high brainy bird, Owlbert Eyenstein, a play on words for the famous physicist Albert Einstein.

Three other balloons were there including the Independent Traffic Control balloon, Happy 2, piloted by Leamington-based Rolf

Dennler.

He and wife Glenda moved from Australia three years ago but have been attending the festival since 2003.

“I’ve been a licensed pilot since 1994. I was ballooning before as a student pilot,” Dennler said.

“I like it [in Cambridge]. Everybody is flying in Hamilton but I’m the only one flying in Cambridge because there’s lots of horses. All you have to do is fly higher and you won’t upset the horses.”

Glenda said they love making the crowds happy and seeing children run around getting a thrill from the sight of the balloons.

“We’ve been out to the districts with the balloon before, but this was our first time in Te Awamutu.”

The Albert Park fields were littered with families and their picnic blankets as they soaked up the scenery, enjoying food and music.

Kihikihi resident Bailey Gore grew up in Cambridge and said the Friday evening gathering was a great event for Waipā.

She took her son Fordie for his first

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experience of hot air balloon viewing.

“I found out about it from some of my mum friends. Judging by the numbers here, the community are excited by it,” Gore said.

“It’s also a great opportunity to get out of the house, spend time with friends and give Fordie some early memories.”

Crews from Te Awamutu Hato Hone St John as well at the Te Awamutu and Pirongia voluntary fire brigades were there amping up the community spirit.

Photos with the fire trucks certainly kept the children busy as they waited for the balloons to inflate.

“I’m delighted balloons are back in our district for another year,” Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan said.

“It’s always such a highlight for the community.”

Crowds at the Hamilton Lake, Hamilton CBD, The Base and Tokoroa Memorial Sportsground also got a taste of balloon action throughout the week.

Saturday night saw the culmination of the festivities, with the ever-popular night glow held at the Claudelands Oval in Hamilton.

Briefs…

Sanctuary funds

Orienteering Waikato’s Save the Sanctuary Rogaine raised nearly $9000 last Friday for Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain and could become an annual event.

Sister city boost

The cost of new information boards and additional outdoor signs talking about the significance of Le Quesnoy will come from the Cambridge Sister Cities Reserve. The $2500 joins spending of $10,000 each on visits next year from Bihoro, the other sister city in Japan, and Le Quesnoy in France the year after. The fund currently at $24,077.

RDA fundraiser

Cambridge Riding for the Disabled will stage a “fun run, wheel, roll” event along Te Awa Cycleway to raise funds on April 6. The event will start at the Velodrome and finish at the organisation’s base in Cambridge.

Fluoride fails

A judge rejected Whangārei’s bid to yesterday stop fluoride being added to the city’s water. The council spent $100,000 on legal action looking to overturn the Director General of Health’s mandate that fluoride be added to four water treatment plants. Waipā council was also ordered to add fluoride to its Cambridge plant and plans to implement it later this year.

Boundary change

Taumarunui has returned to its natural home with the announcement this week it will go back into the Taranaki-King Country electorate and out of Rangitīkei. It means Taumarunui leaves the other Ruapehu district towns of Raetihi, Ohakune, Waiouru, Waimarino (formerly National Park) and Ōwhango.

Cambridge Tree Trust

Cambridge Tree Trust

www.treetrust.org.nz

www.treetrust.org.nz

Five-finger (Neopanax/ Pseudopanax arboreum)

Five-finger (Neopanax/ Pseudopanax arboreum)

Urban Planting in a Warming Climate –long-term planning

The Tree Trust is currently working with the Waipa District Council arborist, James Richardson, to grow oaks that will be able to withstand the hotter and often drier summers that we are likely to experience in the next 100 years and beyond. Many of our favourite oaks in Cambridge prefer cooler climes, such as the English oak (Quercus robur) and some of the North American ones like northern red oak (Q. rubra). As the average temperature rises these species may begin to suffer stress. So from the oak arboretum across the road from Cambridge High School, James has collected acorns from a number of species that originate in warmer parts of the world. Germinated last spring, many have grown extremely well and it is hoped that some will be ready to plant as early as 2026. Species include several from the USA such

Cambridge

as Q. falcata (southern red oak), acutissima (saw tooth oak), macrocarpa (bur oak), and also Q. canariensis (Algerian oak), variabilis (Chinese cork bark oak – see photo), faginea (Portuguese oak), affinis (Mexican evergreen oak).

Of course, many of the trees that are already common in our parks and streets will probably survive including most of the eucalypts, liquidambers, evergreen and claret ashes, the oriental plane, the Taiwanese cherry. Unfortunately many of the cultivars of the Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) will not enjoy the increasing heat, although the nuggety little trident maple (A. buergerianum) should be okay. Amongst our native trees expect to see those tough-as-old-boots species, totara and kanuka, come to the fore, along with species more often associated with the north – pohutukawa and puriri (kererū will love that).

Cambridge Tree Trust would like to thank Mitre 10 for their support for these monthly articles which are intended to raise interest and awareness of trees in Cambridge.

Leamington-based pilot Rolf Dennler prepares his balloon for inflation.

Photo: Jesse Wood

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Across: 1. Amass, 4. Snatch, 7. Top, 8. Libido, 9. Afghan, 10. Business class, 14. Savvy, 15. Petty, 18. Christmas tree, 23. Attire, 24. Linger, 25. Apt, 26. Rhythm, 27. Yacht. Down: 1. Adieu, 2. Alibi, 3. Storey, 4. Sparse, 5. Angel, 6. Chaos, 10. Basic, 11. Sever, 12. Altar, 13. Style, 16. Stream, 17. Faulty, 19. Hitch, 20. Idiot, 21. Tonic, 22. Event.

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Your next home is here

This stunning property has all you need for that perfect retreat. The larger section enables privacy from neighbours and space for pets and family. When family is important and you would like room for older or younger members to have their own, this property fits the bill. With 7 bedrooms (or 6 and an office, you choose) 2.5 bathrooms, 2 living and covered and open deck for entertaining options. With the wood fire, heat pump and smart vent the heating and heat transfer is sorted. The underfloor heating pipes are in ready for a unit, but there hasn’t been a need for it. The lovely light tone with light wood touches gives warmth and charm to the home. The kitchen is complete with plumbed in fridge freezer, Bosh induction hob, Double wall oven and dishwasher and a walking pantry, being the center of the home providing easy access to the deck and pool area. Inground salt pool offers a refreshing dip on those summer days, while the extra double garage with attic and bathroom enables the convenience of working from home within the property. Automatic gates, keypad entry and security screen doors, provide that peace of mind whether your home or not. Contact Vayle to arrange a viewing.

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$1,550,000 $1,575,000

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Vendors Inviting Offers - Central Home

$650,000

5/64 Hamilton Road, Cambridge

- Sunny lounge with wonderful indoor/outdoor flow through the ranch slider that opens seamlessly out to the garden and lovely newly added deck area. Fully fenced backyard ensures privacy & security.

Open Home Sunday 2.00 - 2.30pm

Character Bungalow

Deadline Sale

39A Princes Street, Cambridge 3 1 2

- Beautifully preserved bungalow is full of personality and character.

- Spacious lounge is sunny and inviting, with a cosy window seat.

- Bifold windows & french doors that open out onto a private deck. Open Homes Saturday & Sunday 11.00-11.30am Luxury Residence - Privacy, Prestige

When Location Counts

5 Cooper Crescent, Cambridge

- Step into a world of elegance with this stunning 300m² architectural masterpiece, nestled on a sprawling 1,653m² (more or less) section.

- Outdoor Entertaining Oasis – Overlooking a pristine in-ground pool.

- Five expansive bedrooms, Private study/home office. Open Homes Saturday & Sunday 11.00-11.30am

office or hobby space accompanied by a separate toilet .

Home Sunday 1.00 - 1.30pm

52 Grosvenor Street, Cambridge 3

- Spacious, open-plan living area that flows onto a north-facing deck.

- Two bathrooms and two toilets add to the home’s practicality.

- Garage with great shed space, plus a carport, plus several parking spaces provides ample storage and parking options. Open Home Sunday 2.00 - 2.30pm

Home Sunday 2.00 - 2.30pm

and Commercial Buildings.

PHONE: 0508 224 7687

MOBILE: 027 514 1521 www.aircongroupwaikato.co.nz

Explore the Waikato with Cambridge Rental Cars 39 Empire Street M: 021 894633 P: 07 827 5002 www.cambridgecarrentals.co.nz Available for hire:

Cars  12 seater mini bus  Jumbo removal van

Heat Pump Specialists

Publication day is Thursday for urban

deliveries and Friday morning for rural deliveries. Acceptance of advertising for publication and free productions services is at the discretion of the publisher.

RATE CARD: Rates are based on advertising space only and are over a 12-month period starting from the date the first ad publishes. Rate bracket e.g. 6 insertions, 12 insertions etc. chosen allows ad sizes to vary within the rate bracket. If the number of insertions chosen is not met then a bulk charge will be applied at the end/cancellation of your schedule based on correct rate reflective of the number of ads published e.g. if you have chosen the 12 insertion rate and only publish 6 insertions, the bulk charge will be the di erence in price between the 6 insertion rate and 12 insertion rate multiplied by the number of ads published. You pay the rate reflective

BLOEMINK, Anneke (Annie Beatrix van Rooij) – Passed peacefully into God’s hands on Tuesday, 18th March 2025. Treasured wife of Fred for 32 years. Loving mother of Eline, Mirjam and Inge. A much-loved stepmum of Shane, Michelle and Joanne. Cherished oma of Tomas and Erik, Emma and Jasmine, Benjamin and Rebecca, and Kees, David, Jordana, Luke, Daniella and Shania. A wonderful sister, aunt and friend to many. A heartfelt thank you to all the staff at Arvida Lauriston Park Care Centre, Cambridge, for the very special care given to Anneke over the last couple of years. A private cremation has taken place.

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” 1 Cor 13:7

Tot ziens lieve Anneke 1

GRAY, Lindsay Selwyn –Passed away suddenly on Sunday 16th March 2025 aged 51. Dearly loved son of Rex and Ann. Father to twin girls Leah and Jade. Loved brother and brother-in-law to Joanna and Brendon Walker and Uncle to Andrew. The service for Lindsay has been held. Messages to the Gray Family can be sent c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434 or in Lindsay’s online tribute book at www.grinters.co.nz

GOODWIN, Keith Arthur –Passed away peacefully at Lauriston Park Care Suites, Cambridge on Sunday 23 March 2025, aged 83 years. Dearly loved husband of Vivienne for 61 years. Much loved Dad of Tony, Andrew and Maree. Treasured grandpa of Courtney and Jay Lankow, Todd and Morgan, Hayden and Ambra, Jacob and Shelby, Georgia and Blake. Loved great-grandpa of Laura, Regan, Fletcher and Mason. Dearly loved brother and brother-in-law of Barb and Ray Hirst. Uncle of Mike, Belle and Steve. Greatuncle of Jack, Amelie and Mark. A service to celebrate Keith’s life will be held at the Kaipaki Hall, 530 Kaipaki Road, Ohaupo on Monday 31 March at 11:00am.

HARVEY, Stuart Andrew – Passed away peacefully at Hospice Waikato on Saturday, 22nd March 2025. Aged 47 years. Devoted and loving husband to Jacqueline. Great father to his four legged children, Coco & Diesel. A private farewell has taken place. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Messages to the Harvey Family can be sent c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434 or in Stu’s online tribute book at www.grinters.co.nz

HACKETT, Brenda Anne, (nee Baldwin) – Passed away peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, 18th March 2025. Dearly loved wife of Drew. Loved mother and mother-in-law to Jared & Zsofi, Anna & Ben. Cherished Nana to Cody, Tyler, Finn, and Ada.

‘Gone but not forgotten’ At Brenda's request a private family farewell has taken place. Messages to the Hackett family can be sent c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434 or in Brenda’s online tribute book at www.grinters.co.nz

VALKS Lambertus

Hendrikus (Bert) – Passed away peacefully on 14 March 2025 in his 92nd year surrounded by family love. Beloved husband of the late Joan and father of Rinus, Helen, Anne, Judith, Clare, Paula, and Sonia, and their partners. Opa/ grandad to 17 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. Resting in eternity. A farewell requiem mass has been held. Messages to the Valks Family can be sent c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434 or in Bert’s online tribute book at www.grinters.co.nz

Classifieds

Jobs, terrific bargains, useful services, legal notices and announcements – these are some of the great things you’ll find in your newspaper’s classified ad section. Connect to your neighbours in a proven reliable way.

When buyers and sellers need to connect…

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Jono Gibson Funeral Director

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE –Kairangi & Robinson Roads

Please note that the roads listed below will be closed to ordinary vehicular traffic on Sunday 6 April 2025 for the Kairangi Loop Bent Sprint.

On Sunday 6 April 2025, from 9am to 5pm

• Kairangi Road - from start of Robinson Road to end of Robinson Road

• Robinson Road - entire road

Hewson Road, Rahiri Road, Dillion Road and Griggs Road will be affected by the road closures.

Access from Hewson, Griggs, Rahiri and Dillon Roads to Kairangi Road will be affected.

Arrangements will be made for access by emergency vehicles during the closure, if required.

For more information, please contact Waipa District Council on 0800 924 723 or email events@waipadc.govt.nz

Steph O’Sullivan CHIEF

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE –Lamb Street

Please note that the roads listed below will be closed to ordinary vehicular traffic on Friday 11 Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April 2025 for the NZ Age Group Road Cycling Championships.

• Carlyle Street - between Raleigh Street and Maungatautari Road on Friday 11 April 2025, from 9am to 3pm

• Lamb Street - between Roto O Rangi Road/Carlyle Street and Shakespeare Street on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April 2025, from 7am to 4pm

Arrangements will be made for access by emergency vehicles during the closure, if required.

For more information, please contact Waipa District Council on 0800 924 723 or email events@waipadc.govt.nz

Steph O’Sullivan

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

CAMBRIDGE OPEN HOMES

WAIPA DISTRICT COUNCIL MEETING NOTICES

Pursuant to Section 46(6) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 notice is hereby given that the Strategic Planning & Policy Committee advertised for Wednesday 1 April 2025 at 9.10, Council Chambers, 101 Bank Street, Te Awamutu, was advertised with the incorrect day of the week. The notice should have advertised this meeting as scheduled for Tuesday 1 April 2025.

Please visit the Council website for the agenda for this meeting.

Steph O’Sullivan Chief Executive

Email text for ad (max 120 characters, including word spaces) through to admin@goodlocal.nz week prior to your garage sale day. Payment due Tuesday prior to garage sale day. Cambridge News is published on Thursdays.

Welcome to Resonate’s customised approach to better hearing.

Welcome to Resonate’s customised approach to better hearing.

Welcome to Resonate’s customised approach to better hearing.

Your long-term hearing health is unique to you. It is a lot more than selecting a hearing aid product.

Your long-term hearing health is unique to you. It is a lot more than selecting a hearing aid product.

Your long-term hearing health is unique to you. It is a lot more than selecting a hearing aid product.

That is why Resonate set up in 2022 as a subscription hearing service rather than just another hearing aid sales business.

That is why Resonate set up in 2022 as a subscription hearing service rather than just another hearing aid sales business.

That is why Resonate set up in 2022 as a subscription hearing service rather than just another hearing aid sales business.

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Have a look at our customer happiness checklist.

Have a look at our customer happiness checklist.

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If your current audiologist is not ticking all these boxes, then come and visit us and see for yourself whether we can provide you a better way to hear life.

If your current audiologist is not ticking all these boxes, then come and visit us and see for yourself whether we can provide you a better way to hear life.

Resonate’s Customer Happiness Checklist

Resonate’s Customer Happiness Checklist

Resonate’s Customer Happiness Checklist

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